Hope, the story of two of the three young women held captive by Ariel Castro, is a graphic and gripping account of a decade of abduction, assault, and abuse in a rundown house on Seymour Street in a rough section of Cleveland.

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, the two youngest of the three captives, wrote their stories together because they wanted everyone to know the truth, not only about what they endured, but about the hope that enabled them to survive. They derived strength from seeing their families on TV and from the bright spirit...

More than a memoir, this book is a promise of hope for anyone who was abandoned as a child, to anyone who woke up hungry and went to bed hungrier every day, for every wife who has loved a husband who left bruises on her heart and on her body.

Somewhere between stealing cold cuts from stray cats and watching a stranger leave her mother's bed after breaking in through their bedroom window, Mary figured out that her family was dirt poor. Worse than her empty stomach, she was hungry for acceptance and love. She thought she found it when her baby sister...

Someone living in an abusive situation has to endure not only fear and physical pain but also feelings of isolation, shame, and hopelessness. Why is this happening? Why doesn't he just leave? I can't let anyone know what's really going on. Danielle Gallant Simms, author of Living Past Being a Victim, has had these same thoughts. She was sexually abused by her own father for the first time when she was just four years old. That abuse continued for years as she suffered in silence, afraid to tell anyone. Simms wrote this book to share her own horrific story, and how she finally managed to escape...

In the 21st Century children travel a fine line between innocence and becoming a victim of abuse. Every child has the right to help if they have been hurt, neglected or sexually abused whether they are a boy or a girl, rich or poor or where they live in the world. As an Educator I was inspired by parents of young children placed in my care to create a starting point, a way to approach the subject of bullying and sexual abuse with young children. The book is a resource to be read to children and then for children to read themselves. This book will stimulate questions and discussion to assist...

For Shelby, childhood was anything but guilt-free. According to her father, Spivey, she was to blame for any and everything wrong in his life. In Spivey's eyes, his daughter was never been good for anything. He tried to brainwash her with his madness. Shelby had no choice but to grow up fast. When opportunity presented itself, she took off for a chance at a life better than the one she had known; searching for unconditional love and a safe place to rest. She thinks she has found true love, but instead she has gotten exactly what she didn't want; the kind of man she hated. Now, Shelby has to...

Born into a family of Baptist missionaries, young Ana's parents expected her life to be happy, faith-filled, and rife with the fruits of God's labor-but it was not to be. At a very young age, Ana was sexually molested. She grew up unlike other kids. Instead of enjoying her childhood, she grew up confused, afraid, and alone. This fear and confusion continued into her teen years and even into adulthood. The ghosts of her past would not let her go-they kept her bound and tied in turmoil.

Child sexual abuse and sex trafficking are growing concerns as epidemics in culture and society. There are doctors,...

One of the Boys: Masculinity, Homophobia, and Modern Manhood takes a fresh look at the formation of modern male sexual identities. You will find that homophobia is not only widespread, but that it takes diverse forms and has far-reaching behavioral and social consequences. The new concept of “homophobic passage,” which is part of the development of all young men, will enlighten you as to the proposed “causes” of homosexuality and heterosexuality. One of the Boys will help you discover how the passage of young males from childhood to adulthood plays an important role in formation of the...

When a fourteen year old girl becomes trapped in a predator's web, she is subjected to the worst kind of abuse. This is the shockingly true account of one girl's suffering at the hands of those meant to protect her, and the magical connection with an animal that helped her to survive.

My Partner, My Enemy is written, not to sensationalize, but to bring dramatic attention to the scourge of domestic violence, a problem that knows no bounds and is often silent until it becomes deadly. It asks the provocative question, “What should we do with the perpetrators?” and attempts to answer by suggesting ways to help victims protect themselves.

With his bare hands and a soul-numbing smirk, he violently twisted Denair??s neck and slowly began choking her to death! Her mind raced, “What does he mean it??s my fault? I have to die tonight?”

Run for Your Life: From Victim to Victor is an intriguing cat and mouse tale of how Denair Marie, an aspiring attorney, fled her dream job and her amazing new home. She ran for her life after her ex-boyfriend, who was charged with attempting to murder her, jumped bond and led federal Marshals on a harrowing chase. This monster was bent on silencing...

Alexa Servodidio, LCSW is the author of Finding Your Peace Within the Chaos and Host on her radio show Insight into Healing. While preparing to write this book, Alexa decided to start each chapter with a question from her radio show. Her vision is to provide each reader with at least one educational tool for them to utilize and then share it with another. Giving back and paying it forward are the principles she bases her book, her show, and her life on. She wishes to thank everyone for joining her on this journey.

Praise received for Finding Your Peace Within the Chaos"In her radio show and...

Here is an informational and practical book that systematically addresses the complex relationships between chemical abuse/dependency, aggression, and family violence. Directed toward professional chemical dependency and family violence counselors, it provides specific guidelines for the assessment of child abuse, incest, and marital rape, as they are likely to be encountered in a chemical dependency treatment setting. Experts outline treatment suggestions for chemically dependent and codependent individuals who are or have been the victims/perpetrators of family violence. Aggression, Family...

Born in Barbados to a poor black family bordering a major sugar cane plantation, Tony Blenman immigrated to Canada in 1969. All he wanted was to be treated as a decent human being worthy of love and respect. Instead, he experienced multiple traumas in the form of sexual abuse by two siblings and a person in the community, physical abuse by his mother, and emotional abuse by his mother and others in the community, including more than one teacher who thought children learned through being beaten. As a child, he witnessed violence and abuse in his home, in the behaviour of others, and at school....

Imagine your life moving in a gulley. You are not getting ahead but you are not falling behind either. You analyze the situation and decide to move to a new locale; a place that will offer new opportunity and new excitement. Perhaps even a new romance.

This is the story of a retired gentleman from New York who yearns to improve his life on many levels. He meets a lady on Craig's List who offers all the things he desires. She is a beautiful redhead; a business owner who is smart, funny, and living in a part of the world he has considered...

This is book two of the seven book series collection The Bruises from my Mother's Love. Read how Lunye' Williams take matters into her own hands by escaping her mother's torture chamber and look for love in the dangerous streets of Chicago. This series will take you to places in her life that will not only have you in tears, but she will inspire you with her courageous effort to save herself from a life of misery. Not only will she inspire you, she will also take you on an emotional joyride and keep you guessing how she survives endless encounters of the dangerous streets. Think twice before...

This book provides a rare and in-depth examination of the narratives, experiences, and lived realities of abused mothers-a group of women who, despite being the victims, are often criticized, vilified, and stigmatized for failing to meet dominant ideologies of what a "good mother" is/should be, because they have lived and mothered in domestic abuse relationships. Based on a qualitative research study conducted with 29 abused mothers residing in abused women's shelters in Calgary, Alberta, this book highlights the ways that these mothers experience the dominant ideology of intensive mothering,...

I Slept with and Divorced My Devils is a true story of triumph over tragedy. It is the story of a child desperate to survive despite the adversities within a dysfunctional family. It is also the story of Joseph Rozeau, who survived years of abuse and neglect to forge his own path. The atrocities he experienced created a vicious cycle that followed him through the better part of his life, until a series of events forced him to realize the need to break the cycle. Taking stock of his life and his future, Joseph worked hard to change his thinking and his behaviour. By breaking the cycle, he was...

Born into a rigid fear-based Christian family to a mother with undiagnosed post-partum depression, young "Frances" quickly learns her world is not a safe one. Strappings are common for Frances, who suffers multiple forms of abuse at the hands of those closest to her throughout her childhood and adolescence. To mask her fears and sensitivity, Frances develops a tough exterior and seeks means of distinction and success. Desperate for love, she goes on to college to find herself involved with a young man whom she marries, convinced they are in love. Later, in deeply different circumstances and...